Brisbane Montessori School

I had 2 children attend BMS for 3 years. There is a true Montessori spirit to the school and our family joined BMS after a combined 12yrs of Montessori schooling in another country and seeing many leading schools and teacher education increasingly moving towards Montessori concepts in their pedagogy speaks volumes. The school went through a lot of positive changes under the new principal with many new systems and policies introduced. It was not all perfect with one teacher sadly not bringing out the best in our child for a range of reasons but I will say that school management absolutely bent over backwards to try and improve the situation. They were highly supportive rather than defensive so we still view our experience positively. Also the school community was incredibly warm, welcoming and down to Earth. The school setting is just beautiful with so much space and greenery. A great place for children to learn and grow. Finally also happy to report that my kids have transitioned very well into their new schools (for high school and commuting reasons) and I attribute this to their independence and strong sense of self so well nurtured at BMS.

I have had an association with this school for 5 years (my niece, nephew and child attend). Overall, BMS is focused on the children, the parents and the staff and that is a very, very complex balance to get right. The quality of teaching has only been getting better over the years, the facilities are often being upgraded (but not in an opulent way) and the community is so, so healthy (I think a lot of us do not know what many other school communities are like). It is also (and this is extremely important), 100% committed to the Montessori method. I can say this with confidence as I have had over 30 years experience in Montessori including having attended Montessori as a child. This school does Dr. Montessori's legacy proud and one must remember that no two classroom environments will look the same, but the central tenants are all being followed and training provided wherever gaps are identified. So, if you are looking for a school which leads with the heart, has a wonderful parent teacher community and does its absolute best to train and implement Montessori education, then BMS fits the bill. The beautiful facilities and grounds are just a bonus. If you have had a positive experience with this place, you should also leave a review!!

Serious governance issues and a high proportion of problem kids/parents The school is located in a beautiful and serene part of Brisbane. It has several caring, talented and dedicated teachers and teaching assistants. Unfortunately, its current management lets it down, leading an increasing number of families to vote with their feet and leave. Before coming to BMS, we experienced another Montessori school (IMCH) where staff were amazing and where our child flourished. Our experience this time has been quite different. Today we regret having joined BMS. A first concern is that the school attracts more than its fair share of problem kids who do not fit into more traditional settings. It is an issue for other children who, as a result, get less teaching time and attention. With problem kids often come problem parents, prone to blame their children's difficulties onto others. Another important issue is that the school is run with the help of a handful of cronies backing management and retaining information. Input from other parents - particularly new comers - is not welcome, often not tolerated and sometimes punished through bullying tactics. Too often, questions about school decisions are not honestly answered or dealt with. This causes a climate of constant strife as parents daring to ask are met with a brick wall. Strange things happened and were never discussed by management despite parents raising questions. For instance, a teacher was suddenly asked to leave and was escorted by staff to the car park with instructions not to communicate with parents. Management refused to discuss the event. A hefty compensation paid by the school appeared in its financial report later on. Many other staff members have left since. As with other private schools in QLD, there is little transparency about individual donations to the school. Individual and family donations should be publicly disclosed to ensure donors do not get privileged access or treatment. We are not saying that is what happens at BMS, just that transparency is most definitely needed. Such a disappointment after our previous Montessori experience, and such a let down for Maria Montessori's legacy!

We joined the BMS community in 2011 and collectively my 3 children have spent 31 years at the school. BMS is a wonderful school, with fantastic kids, passionate teachers and an engaged community. An amazing environment to learn, make friends and discover yourself and the world around you. Huge thanks to the current principal for his experienced approach, balanced leadership and positivity. If you are considering a Montessori education for your family, I can highly recommend BMS.

Our four children have absolutely thrived at Brisbane Montessori School! The two eldest moved from a main stream school (at 7 and 9 years old) and were significantly behind their Montessori peers academically when they arrived. Under the direction of highly qualified passionate educators and the guidance of their classmates they have leapt ahead and we were constantly in awe of their love of learning, their inquisitive minds, their willingness to work things out for themselves and the practical application of what they were learning at school. Everything is for a purpose at Brisbane Montessori School. Our older children completed their primary education through to year six at BMS and have moved on to High School at Brisbane Boys College and Brisbane Girls Grammar where they have continued to thrive. Their Montessori education prepared them well for the practicalities of life at high school. They are both independent, resourceful, motivated, have remarkable executive functioning skills and initiative and easily met the challenges of life in a large formal structure. As parents we are so grateful for the belief in themselves and love of learning fostered at BMS and strongly believe that this has set them up for success at High School where they continue to be passionate learners and manage their time and studies well. We are also delighted by their continued connection to BMS and the interest and mentoring their former educators and the Principal, Chris Peach, still provide. Our two younger children joined the Children's House community and are now in Lower Primary and Upper Primary. They both love their school and every day they pack their own lunches and school bags and get themselves ready to leave home, they can';t wait to be at school. We are so grateful for the wholesome environment they learn in. Children play and learn together, boys, girls, different age groups. I love watching our daughters get themselves dressed for the day in 'good clothes' for climbing trees and playing soccer and it thrills me to see them reading in the car to and from school and talking about how they are going to finish their book so they can borrow the next one from the library that day. The library is the heart of the school and all of the children seem to have a passion for reading. Our seven year old recently taught me long division without ever having any home work set, our reluctant nine year old reader spends her spare time writing books and all of this magic has happened without educators sending home sight words, arbitrary work sheets or even worse setting tasks on iPads! This is real learning with real tangible results and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of. In over five years now none of my children have said they don't want to go to school, we all love it.